Page 101 of The Princess of Nothing
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Wolves howled somewherein the distance. I shuddered as night dropped the temperature to below freezing. Knotting my hand with Cedric’s, our arms stretched between our horses, I looked behind us.
Florence wore her armor well, somehow looking beautiful under the silver. Her horse was light brown with a thick mane. Next to her, Adius sat on a black stallion, his sword in hand. She said something to him quietly, but he grouched back, frowning. He must’ve been angry she came along to fight.
Cedric moved his horse away from mine, unlinking our fingers. My throat tightened. Thousands of people lined the battlefield where the town met the villages and forest. And they were all looking to me.
I thought about the crown, growing up in a castle, and trying to get home. It was all magical when it was an idea. When it was in front of me—thousands of people ready to die at my feet—it hit me like a thousand icicles. The responsibility took my breath away.
Gripping the silver reins on my horse, I closed my eyes for a few seconds. I could hear my people marching as the rest joined our ranks. It brought me back to the memory of the battle André and my father had fought. I heard the same footsteps as well as the sound of metal clashing in the distance. Except this time, I was leading the army. My gaze caught Cedric’s, then Morgana’s, and in that instant, I was reminded what I was fighting for.
The marching grew louder. Finally, there was silence as the last of my army arrived. The night sky turned blacker. I parted my lips, trying to find the words to lift my people as their gazes stayed on me. My voice caught the wind and shook. I did my best to turn my girlish tone deeper.
“You are all my family.” Tears pooled, but I didn’t care. Emotion may have never suited my father, but I was not him. “My heart beats for every single one of you. I do not know many of you personally, but I do know your spirit, your strength, and the courage in your souls! I applaud your bravery for being here today, for fighting for Magaelor, for your families, your rights, and your religion.”
Cedric’s eyes widened. Morgana nodded in approval.
“I will fight today for our kingdom. I know the ancestors will guide us to victory. With each of you, we will win back what has been taken from us. I was anointed to be your queen, and Edgar has stolen the throne from us.”
The front rows who could hear me cheered, and the sound froze my next sentence. My emotions swept over me in waves. I sucked in a deep breath.
“He wants to take our magic. He calls it necromancy. He doesn’t care for our ancestors who protect and love us!”
They cheered again, this time growing louder.
Tears fell down my cheeks. “King Amos may have been taken from us, but his spirit lives on in this fight, and I promise to do better by you all once we have taken our kingdom back. We fight, tonight, for our home and our dignity. For Magaelor!” I lifted my sword in the air.
They cheered loudly. My heart hammered.
Cedric stared, awestruck. “You are incredible,” he said, joining me by my side. I flushed pink.
Adius also joined me. He stared pointedly over the army he created. “Our scouts have informed us they will be coming from the east. They should be here soon. They were told of our position in advance.”
The rats card swarmed back into my memory. We were already forewarned of traitors in our midst. Pricks as cold as ice ran through my fingers and toes. “Where are the faeries?”
Just as he was about to answer, I turned my head to the west. Hundreds upon hundreds of fae, prepared for battle, rode toward us. Behind the front rows, men marched. That must have been who I had heard. It wasn’t Edgar’s army; it was an extension of ours. At their front, Blaise rode on a black horse with eyes as white as snow. His crown shimmered in the moonlight, and his gaze found mine.
My jaw dropped. “I didn’t think he would come.”
Movement that looked like waves on the horizon diverted my attention. Edgar was here too. A horn sounded; battle cries carried in the wind as they approached.
It was time. I brandished my sword and staff, then led us forward.
Swords and spells crashed together.
The dead lingered around the battlefield on the outstretched snow, over broken branches and contorted bodies, waiting to bring those who would die to the other side.
There were too many of them.
My gaze drifted over the crimson-stained snow crunching under my boots. I was still rooted in shock.
